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A 'lil HooHaa

Messing with the blogging world since 2005

event

Turning 8!

September 4, 2015

No. 8 is in the books!

No. 8 is in the books!

In 2008, a small group of us got together to put a summer geocaching picnic event together.

A few weeks ago, that event hit its eighth birthday.

Originally born the Hall of Fame Picnic because of two Hall of Fames in our immediate area (baseball and soccer), there is now but one still around (baseball). The picnic, however, continues on.

HOF picnic 8 logo

One thing that is cool about the event is trying to come up with something different each year. There’s been photo scavenger hunts and the GeoOlympics to name a few things we’ve done. We usually try and put out new caches for the event, which is always fun.

This year was a passport program where people showed up, received a passport and then went out to find eight new caches — all letterbox hybrids — to stamp their passport. Then they came back for the picnic and we drew names of those who completed the passport for random prizes.

It’s a nice, smaller event that people seem to enjoy each year. We’ve, for the most part, seen a steady increase in attendance each year.

Our attendance over the years:

  • 2015: 47
  • 2014: 41
  • 2013: 23
  • 2012: 29
  • 2011: 26
  • 2010: 25
  • 2009: 28
  • 2008: 17 (does not include multiple logs by people claiming “event only” finds

In two years, the 10th edition of this event will take place and I already have ideas for it. Next year will be No. 9, though, and it will hopefully be as fun as normal.

If you are a local (or semi-local) geocacher and haven’t been to this event — well check it out next year! If you’ve been to them, I hope you’ve had a great time at them.

This year was definitely a success and here’s looking forward to next year and beyond!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Filed Under: Geocaching, My world Tagged With: caching, caching events, event, events, geocaching, geocaching events

4 Comments

Paint Nite brings out the inner artist in a fun and creative way

July 10, 2014

I’ve never considered myself much of an artist, per say.

Though I am an avid photographer and writer, I always found it hard to say I was an artist with those mediums. When I think of an artist – I think traditional, such as a painter or sculptor or somebody along that line of work.

My finished product!

My finished product!

In fact, in high school, I wasn’t much of anything when it came to art class. Sure, I did OK and got decent grades, but I wasn’t the next Picasso or anything.

Maybe times have changed?

A year or so ago, I came across a website called Paint Nite. Have any of you heard about it? If not, let me tell you – it’s fantastic. The idea is simple – people get together in a bar-type atmosphere, have some tunes and paint.

Simple, right?

The idea is to drink creatively. In other words, have a few cordials and create some artwork. It had been something I had wanted to try for a while, but never had a chance. It’s affordable (website is $45, but there are often deals and you can get it much cheaper on Groupon) and it’s a good way to try something different.

Tools of the day.

Tools of the day.

I recently signed up for a class with a friend who is an art teacher. It was a good way to check this out, as well as give me a reason to finally go do this and blog about it. The one I picked out was good because the art was supposed to be pretty easy. Turns out it was.

There were about 20 people for this one. From reading and looking at other events, I think they are often much bigger. This was a perfect size for a first-time person, though. The instructor, Toni, was excellent. She was fun and made sure people were enjoying themselves. There was music playing throughout and a waitress made sure you could get a refill or two, if you so desired.

As part of your experience, Paint Nite supplies the following:

  • Smock
  • Paint brushes
  • Paint
  • 16×20 canvas (which you obviously get to take home at the end)

So basically, you come, grab a drink and paint.

Hard at work.

Hard at work.

As noted, the painting we did the day I was there was pretty easy. The only thing I would have liked was if it was a little more social. It seemed like people were in their groups and kept a little to themselves. I wonder if the group was bigger or if the painting was a little different, if that would have made it more social.

It was nice a few times when there were breaks to go around and check out the other paintings. Some people had some amazing work. Mine was rather simple, which I was OK with. The painting was about being unique and the instructor offered a free class if you did it in another language.

I dug deep and remembered my French days and did it in that (if I remember right, unique is the same in English/French) and earned myself a free Paint Night class, so that’s cool. I also filled out a survey online and received a code for like 40 percent off or something for a class.

Paint.

Paint.

What I truly found out was how relaxing painting can be. I’ve seriously thought about buying a few canvases and some paint and brushes and just seeing what I can do. I know I’m never going to be the next Picasso or anything, but it’s a way to relax, be creative and maybe have some things to put on my walls – or to give to somebody else. I’ll have to see what kind of investment I’d be looking into. Or, maybe I’ll just stick to Paint Nite events.

On another note, take a peek at the Paint Nite website and see if there are any events in your area. It’s heavily on the female side, so if you’re a single guy, it might be worth grabbing a couple of friends and checking it out. At the event I was at, I was one of two males there – and the other wasn’t painting. What’s the worst thing that happens? You go, have a hoot and a few drinks and socialize some.

It’s an affordable and fun evening and well worth doing. I’d encourage anybody to try it as it gives you something outside the normal zone for fun. The best part is when looking at events, you can see what you’ll be painting and what they rate it (from easy to hard) so you can decide if it’s something you can handle or not.

Paint Nite was a heap of fun and I look forward to doing it again sometime in the future.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Filed Under: My world Tagged With: albany, art, artist, color, drink creatively, event, fun, paint, paint nite, painting

10 Comments

Even at night geocachers prove to be simply crazy

October 10, 2013

Crazy geocachers come out for a night event!

For the second straight year, I opted to hold a night geocaching event.

Mind you, this wasn’t anything special. It was basically an event to see who would be nuts enough to come out to a geocaching event in the middle of the night.

Last year, I held the event at 1 a.m. in a Walmart parking lot.

See? Nothing special.

We had a pretty solid turnout with people actually doing a little traveling to get there. This year, I opted to go a little earlier — 11:30 p.m. — to see if that helped.

Again, a good turnout.

One thing was for sure — the weather this year was much better. Last year, it was brutally cold. This year was quite nice, though rain arrived and chased us all away about 45 minutes after the event started.

It truly does make me smile to know how nuts of a community geocachers are.

As I said, there was absolutely nothing special about this event. It was a simple meet-and-greet in a Walmart parking lot. Nothing more, nothing less. Though one cacher did bring some eats — leftover stuff from a party she had done earlier! Sweet!

Including me, we had 19 people this year, which is two more than last time. So it’s a steady improvement. I’ll have to see what I can do to get things rolling for next year.

Games were mentioned, so I’ll have to come up with something clever to have for people to do. I don’t want to do the normal geocaching bingo or anything, so I’ll have to figure something odd.

I’m sure I can come up with something.

Until then, another late-night caching event is in the books and I’d call it a success!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Filed Under: Geocaching, My world Tagged With: caching, caching event, event, geocaching, geocaching event, night caching, night geocaching, night geocaching event

14 Comments

On the geocaching trail: Planning a fun weekend

July 18, 2013

I’m ready for a weekend of geocaching… and hopefully many finds occur!

Hey folks.

I know I’ve been pretty hit or miss for the past several weeks, but with work and softball and everything else, I’ve had no drive to blog. I’m so beat at night thanks to this crazy heat we’ve been having.

Blah.

Anyway, for the first time since starting the summer gig, I have a few extra days off. I put in for this weekend as it’s the Berkshire Geobash, a mega event in its second year. I went last year and wanted to hit it up again.

Of course it’s supposed to be hot this weekend, which kind of stinks. I was hoping for some partially sunny skies with a high of around 70. I would have been stoked.

But no…

Mother Nature doesn’t seem to want to cooperate, of course.

For Saturday (from the National Weather Service):

Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 2pm. Some of the storms could produce small hail, gusty winds, and heavy rain. Partly sunny, with a high near 84. West wind 8 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

For Saturday night:

Saturday Night Showers and thunderstorms likely before 9pm, then a slight chance of showers between 9pm and 3am. Some of the storms could produce small hail, gusty winds, and heavy rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 63. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Seriously? I get a weekend off and I have to deal with this? Of course Sunday looks nice and Friday (when two of us are heading down) look decent. But Saturday…

Ugh. Hopefully that will change some.

Either way, I have a lot of caches planned. I haven’t sat down and planned a caching trip like this in a while, so it’s been pretty fun. I have the lists broken up into days and such, so hopefully we’ll be able to get most of them. There are more than 100 on the list for two days, so we’ll see.

Some of the highlights include:

  • Seeing nine covered bridges (four in New York, five in Vermont);
  • Two events (originally three or four, but we’ve opted to skip one or two for other items);
  • Several puzzle caches, which have already been solved;
  • Some challenging caches with different terrain/difficulty ratings;
  • A few cooler caches with more than 50 favorite points.

I’ve also continued the releasing of my coin collection (I’m creating proxy releases as the originals stay in the collection, but they are out moving and such) and will have more than 15 I am releasing this weekend. That’s one thing I’m truly excited about. I’ll drop them in different spots throughout the weekend.

In the end, I’m looking forward to getting away and doing some geocaching. It hasn’t been a great summer for caching for me as I had eight finds in June and I’ve had one in July.

One.

So I’m looking to make amends.

Last year, this event was quite fun. There were quite a lot of things to do and I look forward to the same this year. I hope there are good vendors to check out and, of course, great caches.

I’m also planning on taking a bunch of photos (I rented a lens) with my regular camera as well as with the iPhone, which I’ll be posting to Instagram, Tumblr and Twitter throughout the weekend. Feel free to follow me on any of those networks!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Filed Under: Geocaching, My world Tagged With: caching, caching event, event, geocache, geocaching, geocaching event, mega event, weekend

2 Comments

Day Zero Project: Completed No. 3

May 22, 2011

A Day Zero Project goal of P.J.’s has been completed!

Goal completed: Attend a rally for a cause I really care about.

Date completed: April 29-30.

Number: 3 (remember, these goals will not all be done in order. It’s a random list where the numbers actually are).

Description: I had seen this one on the Day Zero website and thought it would make for a good addition to my list. It seems like a good thing as it gets you out into something and doing something for something you believe in.

Why I wanted to do it: Because, truthfully, it’s worth getting involved in some things.

How I did it: My “rally,” is a borderline rally, but for this list, it works. I attended and participated in the Relay For Life. The Relay is a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. This rally, the Delaware County chapter, raises more than $100,000 each year. The Rally is a great evening of people coming together to celebrate those who have beaten cancer, remember those who lost the battle and support those who are currently fighting the disease. There are ways to raise money, events to participate in and people walking constantly. In the end, it’s people coming together to try and beat this awful disease. Our team raised more than $1,600, so we did pretty well, I think. Overall, a rally worth attending.

About P.J.’s Day Zero Project: Day Zero is a project where people come up with 101 things to do over 1001 days. I started the project on Oct. 10, 2010 with an anticipated finish date of July 8, 2013. Goals will not be revealed until they are completed. A private list is at the Day Zero website and the list will be made public upon completion of the project. It’s my thoughts that if things are kept private, should I not do them, change or find a way around it, I’d only be cheating myself.

Filed Under: Day Zero Project, Events, My world Tagged With: day zero, day zero project, event, rally, relay, relay for life

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She was so still for this photo. Make sure you f She was so still for this photo. 

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Harper is counting down to Santa Paws! You know, Harper is counting down to Santa Paws! 

You know, of course, Santa Paws travels with Santa Clause, making sure to find treats and toys for all the good little doggies! (We know they are all deserving, right?) So, Harper put out some milk for the big guy, carrots for Rudolph and the reindeer, and special cookies for Santa Paws! She is ready! 

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One of the best parts about having Harper as my be One of the best parts about having Harper as my best friend… ❤️
Couldn't resist stopping on the way to work to sna Couldn't resist stopping on the way to work to snap this shot. The colors in the sky were fantastic and the scene was nice looking (though, to be fair, I drove by what I think would have been a better scene -- the valley and hills full of snow etc.)

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The best of times??? 🤪🤪🤪 The best of times??? 🤪🤪🤪
Just a break on our morning walk … #goldenretri Just a break on our morning walk …

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Tired. Tired.
Harper is ready for tonight! Let’s go Phillies! Harper is ready for tonight! Let’s go Phillies! 

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I look at her and sometimes still can’t believe I look at her and sometimes still can’t believe I have her. It’s been a year and four months and she makes me smile and laugh more each day. It’s amazing how much a dog changes your look on life, and how much joy they can bring. 

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I’ve recently realized how many photos I have to I’ve recently realized how many photos I have to post here, as well as on Harper’s (@harper_dublin) account). So, as I start to transfer photos, I’ll try and catch up. So photos coming could be from all seasons and who knows when. 🤣

This one is recent from the courthouse square in Delhi. We had some pretty good fall colors this year. 

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From a few weeks ago. I was trying to get Harper t From a few weeks ago. I was trying to get Harper to put her paws on the bridge and looked out, but she was more content jumping on me and looking up. I do love the way she seems to be looking at me.
Instagram post 17992900117561614 Instagram post 17992900117561614
Couldn’t resist a quick stop this morning with t Couldn’t resist a quick stop this morning with the fog and frost settled in. 

Hamden Covered Bridge 

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Harper’s friend Lucy is around this weekend! #g Harper’s friend Lucy is around this weekend!

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So… @harper_dublin wants to know why she can’t So… @harper_dublin wants to know why she can’t have @mallons_homemade_sticky_buns.
This is why we can’t have nice things. Saw this This is why we can’t have nice things. Saw this on me morning walk Friday with Harper. Likely some college kids, but also as chance at local hooligans. I had Harper so not a lot I could do, but I managed to get the cart off the chair. (See second photo) This was in a local park.
Harper is ready for #nationalfetchday on October 1 Harper is ready for #nationalfetchday on October 15! @chuckitfetchgames 

Should be fun! @discgolfdarren @harmm23
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A video looking at my first year and a half of owning a golden retriever, my first dog. It's had its ups and downs, but I've truly loved the ride and look forward to the future. 

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I hate being in front of the camera, but also realize sometimes it's not the worst thing in the world. So, I'm getting better with it. Week 4's theme was all about us and having us in front of the camera, so I tried to come up with a creative way to do it. 

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